


Consolidare

by cheeryos



Series: wasteland, baby! [2]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish Loves Ronan Lynch, COVID-19, Fluff, M/M, a brief follow up for Ronan's birthday because he deserves a little treat, covid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27357634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheeryos/pseuds/cheeryos
Summary: In every relationship, there comes a time to take that next big step. It’s only been a couple of weeks, but Adam and Ronan are done with being patient.
Relationships: Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Series: wasteland, baby! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998070
Comments: 10
Kudos: 129





	Consolidare

_Adam_ : We’ve decided to take things to the next level.

 _Blue_ : don’t you think that’s a little fast??

 _Adam_ : It’s been exactly 14 days.

 _Blue_ : yeah but you haven’t been isolating, you have work

 _Blue_ : so the two week marker is irrelevant

 _Adam_ : I’m always going to have work

 _Adam_ : Unless I get fired

 _Adam_ : That’s not a good reason not to.

 _Blue_ : but you barely know him

 _Adam_ : Duh, that’s kind of the point.

 _Blue_ : but what if you find out that he sucks irl

 _Adam_ : It’s not marriage for fuck’s sake. We’re just combining bubbles.

 _Adam_ : I’m not stuck with this forever, if it doesn’t work out it doesn’t work out. But I’m sick of only seeing his face on my shitty laptop.

 _Blue_ : ok well good luck!!!

 _Blue_ : he better not be diseased and then you get it and give it to me

 _Blue_ : I’m too young to die

 _Adam_ : 😐

Adam Parrish was nervous.

Quite frankly, he’d been nervous ever since Ronan Lynch came stomping up to his checkout counter several weeks ago, looking like he was about to wreck Adam’s entire life. He had been dressed head to toe in black, matching black mask over his face, sharp black brows, nearly shaved head that gave the merest hint of black hair, and long black lashes framing unnaturally pale eyes. He was a stunning vision of silent icy intensity. Adam still recalled the feeling of his heart speeding up inside his chest when their eyes locked. He had immediately and absurdly thought of that Bill Hader meme—at that moment he, too, could be marked down as scared _and_ horny.

He definitely thought Ronan hated him, at first. But then he had left that note (that _fucking_ note), and Adam, swallowing his nerves, had actually texted, even though he was at least half convinced that it was a joke. The intense boy with the juice addiction (or the strange roommate, or both) was far too striking a character to be interested in dusty, ordinary Adam Parrish.

But he was. He really, really was. And things had been going…really, really well, actually. Or as well as dating under extremely limited circumstances could be. They video chatted, which was awkward because it was a little too reminiscent of job interviews. They texted, which was awkward because Ronan was clearly not well practiced at the task (if Adam was being generous), or was downright terrible at it (if Adam was not). They had met again in person once, but of course they were covered up (even the weather was turning against them, at this point) and forced to keep to a distance. Adam felt a little like a Regency era suitor, going through bizarre courting rituals with all forms of intimacy carefully censored.

Despite all the layers of distance, Ronan’s brilliance was shining through the cracks. Adam was falling, hard. And that was what made him nervous, far more than any threat of disease could.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Adam asked for what was probably the millionth time. As an essential worker, he was the weak link here. He was hesitant to expand his social circle in general, and especially hesitant now that there was a non-zero chance he could infect (and maybe murder) his new—whatever they were. Pre-boyfriend? Gentleman caller? (Literally, since they called each other far more than they saw each other. Although he’d probably have to take issue with the “gentleman” part.)

“Yes, it’s fine. It’s just me here, chill out. Gansey’s still at his family vacation extravaganza. The details were unspecific, but I think it’s some sort of eat-the-rich Kardashian Island nonsense. But once he gets back, he won’t need to isolate anymore so we can bring him into our pod.”

“ _Our_ _pod_ ,” Adam repeated with a grin. It was stupid how happy that possessive pronoun made him.

“Yeah, I’m feeling a little like a whale lately.” He could hear Ronan’s answering smile through the phone.

“Or a political bro with too many opinions and too few friends?” Adam continued the bit, although he was now distracted by all the potential the word _our_ had brought to mind. He was definitely getting ahead of himself. It had been _two weeks_ , for fuck’s sake.

Ronan laughed. “Ugh, anything but that. But yeah, just come over when your shift is done tonight. I’ll text you the address.”

“Might be a little later. I want to go home and shower the grocery store germs off first.” Adam wanted to be there immediately. He also sort of wanted to put off the event forever.

“How far away do you live?” Ronan asked. “I’m in walking distance of the Kroger. You can always just shower here. I’ll make sure not to touch you before you’re disinfected.”

And that… _well_. That brought a whole new slew of distractions to Adam’s mind. _I’ll be sure not to touch you before_ gave a pretty clear indication that there would be touching _after_. Adam couldn’t remember the last time he had touched another human.

“Nah, I don’t want to put you out like that. It’ll probably only take like an extra hour.” It was ridiculous to be worried about formality during the End of Days they were living through, but Adam was still not totally comfortable with the idea of being _that_ comfortable with Ronan on their first day of bubble-merging. It was sort of like their first date. He shouldn’t really be showering at the guy’s place, should he?

“Come on man, that’s too long to wait. You don’t want to keep me waiting on my birthday, do you?”

“Wait, it’s your birthday?! Why didn’t you say anything?” Adam racked his brain, trying to remember if it had been mentioned. He was a terrible not-boyfriend for not knowing this fact. Or not knowing whether he should even know this fact yet.

“I just did.”

“That is not advance enough notice! Now there’s even more pressure here.” He tried to sound normal, and not at all freaked out. What if he was disappointing in person? What if he ruined Ronan’s birthday?

“Fuck off, there is not. I don’t give a shit about birthdays. And was there even pressure before?” Ronan sounded completely unconcerned with all of this. Maybe Adam was just being neurotic.

“Yes! Isn’t there? You’re not nervous?” Adam wasn’t sure if it was even right to admit this. Were you supposed to tell the person you were nervous about that you were nervous? Maybe that was some unspoken rule, that he was supposed to play it cool and pretend that he wasn’t as invested as he clearly was. Well, guess that ship had sailed. He was definitely being neurotic.

“I…yeah. I am. I want you to like me. And I make a terrible first impression.” It sounded jokey, but maybe this meant that he really wasn’t as cool with everything as he seemed. Adam breathed a silent sigh of relief.

“Well, that I already know,” he returned the joke. “And I already know lots of other things about you too. And I still like you. So you don’t really have to worry about that.”

“Ditto. And seriously, the only thing I want for my birthday is to have dinner with you. And hang out with you. And just generally, like, see your face in person.” Okay. Adam could do a casual apartment hang, no problem. Ronan wasn’t a stranger.

“Ditto,” Adam echoed. “Well, not the birthday part, but you know what I mean. Fine, I’ll come over right after work. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

So after work, he walked over to the address Ronan gave him and knocked on the door of the dark, hulking building. If he didn’t already know Ronan, he’d be certain again that this was some sort of joke. What kind of person lived in a crumbling abandoned factory?

Ronan opened the door, a slightly uncertain smile on his face. God, he was beautiful. Adam wanted to kiss him into certainty.

De-germ first though.

“Happy birthday,” he smiled back at Ronan, handing him a clear plastic box with a slice of German chocolate cake inside. “I doused the box in hand sanitizer.”

Ronan laughed. “Did you get the cake too? How did you guess that ethanol is my favorite cake flavor?”

They climbed the stairs, Ronan a few steps ahead. Without getting too close, Ronan led him through the cavernous space to the bathroom (that inexplicably also included a fridge?). Adam noticed a folded pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt on the counter.

“There’s a change of clothes, and you can just toss your stuff straight in the washer. We’ll run it during dinner.”

This was altogether something else. _This_ was why Adam had been aching to spend real, actual time with Ronan. These small, everyday gestures. The practical thoughtfulness made Adam’s chest warm. He reached out to touch the t-shirt. The fabric was buttery beneath his fingers. He turned to thank Ronan, smiling softly, and caught a blush on his cheeks.

“I’ll, uh, just go see how long the food is gonna take to get here.” He backed out of the bathroom, still blushing, and stumbled over the lip of the door frame. Adam laughed aloud.

“Fuck off!” Ronan called over his shoulder as he walked away.

Adam was definitely not the only nervous one here.

By the time he emerged from the bathroom, hair damp and limbs swathed in Ronan’s clothes, takeout had arrived. Ronan looked up at him and choked on an egg roll.

“It’s fine that you started without me,” Adam said.

“That’s not—yeah, okay,” he muttered.

“So,” Adam said. The butterflies were back in full force.

“So?” Ronan answered.

“So I’m detoxed.” He bit his lip, hesitant.

Ronan quickly swallowed the rest of his eggroll.

He stood, and slowly walked toward Adam. The approach was almost as if toward a wild creature in the forest. He reached out a hand, tentatively, to grab Adam’s forearm and turn it over to trace up the inside of his arm. Adam’s nerve endings crackled. Ronan’s eyes were down, trained on the path of his own fingers as he moved them softly up to Adam’s elbow. He looked up then, still tentative, the question unasked on his lips. Adam was breathless. He reached out, equally tentative, to rest his other hand on Ronan’s chest, over his heart. Ronan still didn’t move closer, so Adam took the lead. He raised up onto his toes (slightly) to meet Ronan’s lips with his own.

They were soft, and warm, and everything Adam had been longing for during the past two weeks. 14 days. 336 hours. This boy, with the icy stare and the jagged exterior, was comforting in a way that Adam couldn’t have believed possible.

He pulled back slightly to breathe, “You taste like Chinese food.”

Ronan exhaled a slight laugh. “Shut up. I was hungry. You took forever, Parrish, what were you even doing in there?”

Adam willed himself not to get flustered at the insinuation. He could give as good as he got. He raised an eyebrow and drawled, “You think I’d debauch your poor shower without you there?”

Ronan groaned low in the back of his throat, and stuck his face in the hollow of Adam’s neck and shoulder, arms coming around to circle his middle. Adam answered with his own embrace, over Ronan’s shoulders, one hand coming up to cradle his skull. He felt his whole body exhale and settle into the hug, warm and soft. He literally never wanted to move. He could die and be buried there, standing in the middle of an empty warehouse, clinging to this marvel of a boy.

He murmured again into Ronan’s ear, “Happy birthday.”

**Author's Note:**

> attempting to distract myself from LOOMING ELECTION DREAD by writing the fluffiest fluff I could come up with on short notice.


End file.
